Little Brown Bread

A few wednesdays ago, Gummi Bear announced that he was going to bake bread. He didn’t seem to care whether I was on board or not. He then proceeded to the kitchen and fished for a bowl. Next, he grabbed a wooden spoon and a stool in quick succession. After hoisting himself on the stool, so his tiny three year old self could see what was on the counter, he took a pause. Very carefully he reached out for the egg carton and dragged it towards himself. My heart puffed with pride. "He knows what he is doing!!" I thought forgiving him the mistake of grabbing some eggs for bread baking. I know he was recalling our cake making sessions and eggs seemed to symbolise baking in his head. Then he paused again and scratched his chin, "Let me Fink!" he mumbled. The he rushed off and returned with a packet of instant noodles and an apple and dumped them unceremoniously in the bowl. "Oh Boy!"

So began a gentle lecture and a chalk diagram on our massive chalkboard wall of all the ingredients needed for basic bread making. "We must use Feast!" he parroted after me. "Feast is alive!" and "Feast makes the bread fluffy and full of holes!". Having been instantly smitten by a recipe for a simple loaf of bread on Heidi Swanson’s 101 Cookbooks, I had filed it away for an occasion very much like the one on hand. With no kneading required, it was the perfect bread recipe for a bright eyed budding baker who didn’t have the patience for kneading, resting, proving and all that hoopla.

With brow furrowed in concentration, Gummi bear followed my instructions to a T. He tipped and mixed gently. He "painted" the bread tin with melted butter staying within the lines at all times. Once the dough was in, he asked me how it would become bread. "With the yeast, remember?" I reminded him. "Oh yes! The Feast!" he squeaked with joy. "But how Mum?" he didn’t give up. "You have to be nice to the bread and show it love, then it rises perfectly" I told him simply. So he carefully sat down on a stool, put the bread tin on his lap and started singing to it.

Rise little bready

Feast Feast

Rain Rain go away

Bready is feeping (sleeping)

rain rain go away

come again another day

(mumbling) (more mumbling)

(high pitched humming)

His mind wanders all over the place but he can be very entertaining! Once we put the bread in the oven, he fell asleep on the couch waiting for it to rise. When he awoke an hour later, he was super excited to see it had become bread with holes. He had one bite of the butter slathered slice and announced he would eat it later. Which he did. Thank God!

It was the most fun I had had baking in the kitchen in recent times. It was one of the quickest, no fuss and simplest breads I have ever baked. It was delicious even when I forgot the salt in the recipe (can’t blame me! It is hard to concentrate when your second born is being so darned cute and asking a zillion questions!). That was easily solved by generous slatherings of churned butter by Pepe Saya. We tore bits off and relished the sweetness of honey in the bread. We toasted some slices and watched the golden butter melting in a golden pool of deliciousness. Oh we had fun with this little brown bread!

Sneh Roy is an award-winning food and lifestyle photographer, writer, stylist and designer based in Sydney with her husband, two boys and four chickens. Sneh explores life through delicious recipes, honest photography and rich storytelling often peppered with humour. She has a fondness for real food, rains, markets, freshly baked bread and happy endings.
She is also the author of Tasty Express, founder of the food design bazaar Tasty Circus and founder of Sydney design studio LBOI. Read more about Sneh.

Sounds like you had great fun baking with your son and I am sure he had an amazing time too. It’s fantastic how much children love cooking….until they get bored and want to go do something else halfway though

By the way, I know how distracting all the questions can be and how it can lead to forgetting ingredients. My stepson, who is 11, is full of questions. We know joke that Question is his middle name Jennifer (Delicieux)´s last blog post ..Caramelised Onion, Tomato and Basil Tart

My favorite post from your blog as of now. When I bake bread, I don’t sit it on my lap and watch it, but during the proofing I’d take a peak… like… every 15 minutes. My other half gets worried sometimes.pickyin @ LifeIsGreat´s last blog post ..Nutty Chocolate Pavlova

This is such an adorable post and ur son it damn cute..my 3year old too loves to give lots of helping hands (more that I need) in the kitchen, but actually singing to bread & “feast” is a heartache Anamika´s last blog post ..Indian Shortbread – Cardamom & Saffron Nankhatai

Even though all your posts I have been through were fantastic,this one truly takes the cake!Ummm..Bread I mean!Very cute post,the bread looks delicious and thanks to you,I learnt about cultured butter!
Cannot wait to give this a try..Fahad Khan (@PharaohKhan)´s last blog post ..Potpourri Of Flavors: Thai Food

This has to be the most adorable post I’ve read in a looooong time! I really like the tip on singing to the bread. If it works for plants, it must work for yeast too right? They are primordial plants, kinda-sorta….

Thank you for sharing this joy with us. My husband and I, as the parents of a two year old who loves making bread, have smiled so much at this! For Jessica, it is about smelling the ‘feast’ – sometimes her drippy nose gets a little too close, not so cute! The simplicity of bread makes it great for kids.

I like his recommendation of a little nap during the waiting too!Nicola @41feasts´s last blog post ..Not Paul’s Focaccia

Oh Sneha, your baby’s a cutie pie and so so adorable–god bless! Your account of his baking antics brought a smile to my face I have two boys myself and I have to tell you that the pre-school years are the best. So enjoy your time with your lil one ‘cos these are gonna be just memories soon, ah. Loved the idea of making a no knead bread and you know what? You’ve just inspired me to get it into the oven with the kids! Also, loved the special effect on these images, adds a special charm to the story. Lovely post!Nash at Plateful´s last blog post ..Seduced by a glorious getaway. To God’s Own Country.

I’m speechless Sneh! What a gorgeous post! Love everything about it, and Gummi Bear!!! He is amazing, he can come and sing to our bread any time!Martyna@WholesomeCook´s last blog post ..{Day 10} Coconut pandan and mango Bombe Alaska

Oh my God Sneh…I cant tell you how much I love the first picture of and the one where “you need to sing to the dough”…what a cute cute post…okay I ll scroll up again (for the 5th time) & have a look!
P.S. – You boy is so so cute..I love him Tanvi@SinfullySpicy´s last blog post ..Almond – Cardamom Cookies (Eggless)

[…] took Rivs for his first ever bread baking class and initiated his younger brother into baking a quick yeast bread at home. 10. This was the year we built a chook house! Our four darling chooks are […]

[…] you had to pick one favourite post, what is it and why? This is quite easy. I would pick Little Brown Bread. It was the first time any of my posts included something so personal, an intimate memorable […]

Hello! I am Sneh from Sydney - a Food & Lifestyle Photographer, Stylist, Designer & Mum.
I am also the author of Tasty Express (Random House 2014). A wordsmith at heart, I have a fondness for rain, freshly baked bread and happy endings. This is my creative playground. Here you will find food to nourish your bodies & stories to enrich your souls.